When 2 "new" Navis team up,

Dullahan winced visibly from the commotion, not favoring the angry strobelight and its associated sound effects at all.

He, however, did not expect what happened next.

The flooring on the second level creaked, the platform groaning before collapsing down to earth within the tower. Dullahan stood, stunned briefly, before heading to the edge of his own platform to ensure his partner was unhurt. The Lock-On next to him remained entirely vigilant, and amidst the chaos and collapsing floor, took the opportunity to thunder down another strike at a Banana Swordy. Meanwhile, it took Dullahan a few moments to realise that ResQ's status could be made out in their shared interface. "... We're backing her up, Birkenhead."

"Right. Hold on, I'll send something over," his Operator replied. Dullahan loaded the first chip almost immediately: materialising a kite shield in his right hand, capable of withholding... well, probably only one hit, Dullahan mused inwardly. He held his breath at the edge of his platform, and eyed for a straight line of sight with ResQ. It would appear that ResQ was managing well, despite being significantly outnumbered.

"Catch!" Dullahan called out, loosening the two rounded arrows he had nocked. Without checking whether his ally would appreciate his gift or not, the Navigator turned and went for the last plunger.

"You know... Your reluctance to kill is absolutely puzzling," Birkenhead noted, shrugging. Dullahan did not bother to respond in kind.

Summary of actions:
-. Activated Chip: Lock-On1 - 10 Null + Lock On; A Accuracy - Banana Swordy C
1. Battlechip: Guard1 - REFLECT 60 once, breakable
-. Passive: Focus - Take Aim
2. Battlechip: DrillArm1 - Pass to ResQ
3. Battlechip: Curseshield1 - Pass to ResQ
4. Activate Plantain Plunger
The pie-baking OldStove seemed to have an utter one-track mind, to the degree that not even the giant mech suit advancing towards it gave it pause. ResQ's Grapple Claw yanks it towards her, and still the wood-burner busily keeps circulating a steady flame beneath its precious bounty. Finally, a delightful ding chimes off, echoing around the arena, as the OldStove looks down at its open mouth. The flames immediately go out and it opens its front grate, depositing the delightful-looking banana cream pie onto the ground and making lovey-dovey eyes at it...only for the top half of the virus to be forcefully separated in a crunch of metal on metal, courtesy of a forcefully-applied RageClaw.

The pie rests cooling on the ground where the OldStove once stood, the sole remnant of a dedicated baker. Perhaps, if BananaMan were feeling generous and allow Dullahan and ResQ a moment of respite between this challenge and the next, the two Navis might partake in the delightful-smelling confection.

Dullahan, high above most of the action, sets up a shield and sets himself up for a support role. His two lended chips both land tip-down in the floor, just a short distance away from ResQ. His Lock-On happily carries out his offensive presence for him, working in tandem with the mech-pilot to take down a Swordy. The surviving PulseBat, noticing the obvious power in the supporter, takes to the skies, ascending the tall Colosseum with astounding swiftness; it wouldn't be long before the bat was right on top of Dullahan.

The remaining banana-wielder, watching the unyielding assault against its comrade, manages to shake off the shock of its earlier fall, and makes a dash for ResQ with banana held high. Sadly, the strobe sends its perceptions wildly off-balance, and the weapon falls just short of ResQ's armour - just as well; despite the comical appearance of the Swordy's blade, the shing of a keen edge is made very clear as it whistles through the air.

And then, Dullahan makes his way over the precarious platforms high above, reaching the lone other Plantain Plunger and slamming it home. The result is not so immediately obvious as the previous Plungers...and yet, Dullahan and ResQ find themselves overflowing with raw strength to crush their enemies beneath them. "Oho!" BananaMan's voice rings out from somewhere high above. "I see you've gotten a taste of my Potassium Power! You should be noticing a slight buff to your combat routines for the next little while! Just be careful, don't hurt yourselves!" He trails off with a slight laugh, leaving the battle to wrap itself up.

-Viruses-
Banana SwordyA: DELETED
Banana SwordyB: FLATTENED
Banana SwordyC: DELETED
Banana SwordyD: 60HP [1st Floor]
Yellow PulseBatA: SMUSHED
Yellow PulseBatB: 30HP [Ascending!]
Baker OldStoveA: SQUISHED
Baker OldStoveB: DELETED [Pie ready!]

-Objects-
GMD: 20HP [Radiating Strobe! To-All Off-Target]
Lock-On1: 80HP [3rd Floor] [Omnishoes]
Pie: 1HP [1st Floor]
Plantain Plungers [1st Floor]: 8 Remaining
Plantain Plungers [2nd Floor]: 3 Remaining [All fallen to 1st Floor, indistinguishable from 1st Floor Plungers]

-Terrain-
100% Normal

-Allies-
Dullahan: 140HP [3rd Floor] [Guard1 active] [Potassium Power! Attack +30: 6 uses]
ResQ: 130HP [1st Floor] [RageClaw1: 4/6 uses remaining] [Potassium Power! Attack +30: 6 uses]

-Special-
Plaintain Plungers: Use an action to activate a plunger box. The effects can range from anything from additional rewards to buffs to damage, to name a few; chances of a negative effect decrease the higher up they are.

Strobelight-GMD: Radiating a passive To-All Off-Target: all attacks are lowered one accuracy rank. Despite this, it is still a GMD and can be opened after the battle.

Potassium Power: Can use an action to add Attack +30. Carries between battles.
Even with the severe annoyances being belted out from the speakers and the strobe, ResQ managed to bring down her targets with an acceptable level of efficiency. She barely heard her partner's voice over the disorienting blare of the music, and saw the arrows strike the ground nearby. [[i]More chips?[/i]] the Navi throught as she reached out and plucked them from the floor with her ANGEL's right arm. They disappeared after being grasped, and a couple weapons displays opened, describing the downloaded chips. Her eyes widened a bit as she quickly skimmed over the display, and activated one of the chips. [[i]This guy must be loaded or a thief, these aren't "newbie" chips at all...[/i]]

Upon the chip activation, her ANGEL's left claw fragmented and reformed into its default form, with the addition of metal ridges lined diagonally down the outer surfaces of the claws. Continuing to utilize Alexander's previous guidance, ResQ tried to pick out the lone Swordy left on the battlefield. After finding her target, ResQ pointed her left arm towards the virus, prompting the ANGEL to mimic her movement. She activated the chip using the control panel with her right hand, causing the claw to spin up rapidly, like a massive drill. After solidifying her aim, she rotated her left wrist 180 degrees to "fire" the weapon, causing the three vernier rockets to ignite and fire the drill claw towards the virus. [[i]"Airshot,"[/i]] ResQ requested via text message to her Operator. Alexander grabbed the requested chip and slotted it into the PET as his Navi's still spinning claw was retracted.

The claw's rotation started to slow before finally easing to a stop, and the Navi received notification of the chip upload. She looked skywards, trying to find the Pulsebat above. She looked towards the walls first, expecting to find a significantly larger shadow of the virus (thanks to the strobe) to give her a better idea of its general location before attempting to find its exact whereabouts. She raised her right arm, the ANGEL following simultaneously, now wielding a cannon-like firearm. Unlike the typical cannon chip, a bulbous accumulator took the place of the magazine, and the barrel had several stepdowns to further pressurize its "ammunition." A holo crosshair display opened out from her wrist, already sighted to the AirShot cannon. She waited for several flashes to get a better sight picture on the PulseBat, then fired. The cannon made a sharp *POP* as opposed to the typical boom of a firearm, and had a distinct lack of muzzle flash or recoil. The compressed air projectile made a beeline from the weapon to her target, and though it was essentially invisible to the naked eye, the compressed pulse of pressurized air had enough kinetic energy to send even heavyweight targets reeling. ResQ was interested to see what it would do to a lightweight, flying target like the PulseBat.

With her weapons expended, she activated the second borrowed chip in case her targets survived. A large, rectangular structure materialized in front of ResQ. It was nearly as tall as the ANGEL, but not quite as wide. It was difficult to determine colors due to the green strobe, but it appeared the structure was a very dark, matte gray. Though ResQ couldn't see, the front had what appeared to be black outlines of two crossed arms, two closed eyes, and a closed mouth. They looked as if they were painted on, since the structure was perfectly flat on all sides. However, should a virus be unfortunate enough to attack, the almost impossibly flat arms would open up, revealing a nearly 5" tall vertical maw with the sole purpose to deliver a crushing bite to the aggressor.


ACTIONS:
DrillArm1: Banana SwordyD (60 + Break+ Knockback + Long Attack) [B accuracy]
AirShot1: Yellow PulseBatB (40dmg + Microburst) [A accuracy]
CurseShield1: ResQ.EXE (1 Hit Shield) + (Counter(160): On-Hit) [A accuracy]
"Wait!" Dullahan called out, but to no avail; the enigmatic potassium-based Navigator was long gone, his voice trailing off into the ethereal void of... wherever his headquarters were within this absurd architecture.

Earlier, he spotted that his partner had taken up his offered arms, and looked rather eager to put them to good use. Birkenhead was rather unamused, the incessant sound of scritch-scratch echoing the Operator's confusion. Don't worry, I, too, am confused by this ridiculous rule, Dullahan cursed inwardly.

At this rate, he was going to pull the collaborative effort down, making it unsightly and too inefficient for his personal tastes. Hah! As if you and your programming is not the same person. Surely you jest, silly knight, the Navigator mentally chided some more.

It didn't take him long to spot the PulseBat fluttering about, looking eager to draw blood. ... Metaphorically speaking. Dullahan raised his shield against the mammalian adversary, ready to brace for any oncoming impact.

The Lock-On unit, however, was not as passive; and proceeded to shoot a bolt at its master's opponent.

Summary of actions:
1) Raise Guard1 and brace for impact
-. Activated Chip: Lock-On1 - 10 Null + Lock On; A Accuracy - PulseBatB
2-4) Autododge
"Throw away your logic and kick reason to the curb! Beautifully following the golden fruit! If there's a banana, we peel it down! It's a tree grown with these hands! The...*ahem*...

For whatever reason, ResQ's swift, DrillArm-bound deletion of the Swordy is heralded by BananaMan's bombastic outburst, echoing around the towering colosseum. He trails off towards the end, as though he hadn't meant to let the dramatic speech slip out, and the battle continues on as though the whole thing had never happened.

Meanwhile, the PulseBat continues sailing skyward, squeaking angrily in Dullahan's general direction. It makes as though to fire one of its damaging pulses at the Navi, only for ResQ's Airshot to nail it in the back. The concussive force of the hyper-compressed air sends the little bat rocketing like a cannonball, straight for Dullahan. The resulting impact he feels against his shield is not that of a Pulsar, but rather of the PulseBat itself; the Guard doesn't register it as an attack to reflect, but nonetheless it pushes the Navi back a few steps. Unfortunately for him, the few steps he needs to recover is rather more than his tiny platform has room for.

The Lock-On fills the disoriented PulseBat with shells, deleting it with a distinct taste of anti-climax. Meanwhile, Dullahan teeters over the edge of his parapet, and promptly plummets like a stone, just barely managing to get the Guard below him before he hits the ground. The poor abused shield gives way at this, thankfully absorbing enough of the landing shock that Dullahan finds himself on terra firma, rather shaken but ultimately unharmed. It was one way to get him back on the bottom level, one might suppose.

-Viruses-
Banana SwordyA: DELETED
Banana SwordyB: FLATTENED
Banana SwordyC: DELETED
Banana SwordyD: PIERCED (THE HEAVENS)
Yellow PulseBatA: SMUSHED
Yellow PulseBatB: NOPE
Baker OldStoveA: SQUISHED
Baker OldStoveB: DELETED [Pie ready!]

-Objects-
GMD: 20HP [1st Floor]
Pie: 1HP [1st Floor]
Plantain Plungers [1st Floor]: 8 Remaining
Plantain Plungers [2nd Floor]: 3 Remaining [All fallen to 1st Floor, indistinguishable from 1st Floor Plungers]

-Terrain-
100% Normal

-Allies-
Dullahan: 140HP [1st Floor] [Guard1 broken!] [Potassium Power! Attack +30: 6 uses]
ResQ: 130HP [1st Floor] [RageClaw1: 4/6 uses remaining] [Potassium Power! Attack +30: 6 uses]

=BATTLE #2: VICTORIOUS!!=
Rewards:
ResQ: Sword, 390z, 4 FXP
Dullahan: Pulsar1, 390z, 4 FXP

Quote ()

Sword
Damage: 80 + Slashing
Accuracy: B
Description: Creates a sword made of solidified energy, with a very short blade. Hits one target per slash
Duration: Until Overridden/Broken. Breaks automatically after 6 swings.
Element: Null

Quote ()

Pulsar1
Damage: 70 + Object Triggered Blast 2
Accuracy: A (Primary) / B (Blast)
Description: Fires a sound wave. If it hits an object, its range is amplified, hitting anything near that object in a blast of noise.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Special: Object Triggered Blast: Blast effect that only works if the attack hits an Object, such as a RockCube.

The battle complete, Dullahan's Lock-On automatically dematerializes, and Long Tall Sally finally stops playing, leaving nothing but blissful silence. The GMD's strobe effect stops, leaving ResQ and Dullahan in darkness for a few seconds until the normal, sourceless lighting kicks back in. The Mystery Data lowers down to ground level for easy access, and BananaMan's voice starts blaring again, "Wow, that was really something! You two make quite the team, have you been doing this long?" He doesn't give the two of them any chance to try and reply, just steamrolling right on. "Well, I'd say you two have earned yourselves a break on that one, so I'm going to be nice and let you have a breather before the next round. Kick back, relax, crack that GMD open...heck, there's even some pie down there if you want some; it sure looks delicious from where I'm sitting, hoo hoo! But anyway, just say the word when you're ready for another go-round, and I'll have at it!

The Navi's voice cuts out again, leaving Dullahan and ResQ alone together once more, but for the GMD and the aforementioned pie. By some bizarre Net-logic, despite being a banana cream pie that would logically require hours of chilling, the fresh-baked confection is already completely set and ready for consumption...and it really does smell quite lovely. A little indulgence isn't a bad thing, right?

<(PIE: EAT Y/N? GMD: OPEN Y/N?)>
The viruses were effectively vanquished, but their captor didn't seem to be keen on releasing them. At least he had the common decency to turn off that awful racket and nearly seizure-inducing strobe. Everything went dark for a couple seconds, leaving her glowing status boards and amber glove elements as the few, if not only, sources of light in the room. Thankfully BananaMan didn't leave them in the darkness for long, and brought the ambient light back up. ResQ rubbed the bridge of her nose thumb and pointer fingers, as if she was fighting off a headache. While she wasn't experiencing any pain, she wasn't at all amused by what was going on.

That being said, the situation did reveal several rewards, including a battlechip packet left behind by one of the Swordy viruses. She plucked the packet up with two of the ANGEL's large fingers on its right hand. As she did so, a readout popped up on her advisory display. "Not bad..." she muttered as she downloaded the chip to the PET. Alex got a notification of the chip upload, and fetched a blank chip to which to burn the data. The GMD lowered as well, but BananaMan insisted on piping up again, much to ResQ's frustration. While he prattled on about how well the pair performed, ResQ focused on trying to find an exit, as difficult as that may be. The potassium-rich Navi showed no indication of letting leaving them alone any time soon, but he was affording them a bit of a break between "rounds."

Her busting partner had unceremoniously quasi-fallen to the first floor, but his shield seemed to have broken his fall. ResQ didn't seem to prioritize checking up on her partner, because from everything she'd seen, she was convinced he wasn't truly a first-timer like he claimed. He seemed fully capable of taking care of himself. Alex, on the other hand, had a more team-focused approach. A window opened near Dullahan, showing the operator's face. ["Thanks for the chip assist, you alright?"] his inquiry was genuine, but any sympathy was mostly masked by the to-the-point manner of which he spoke.

ResQ rolled her eyes as her NetOp tried to reach out to her partner, [why should he care?] she thought. She changed her focus to more intriguing matters, specifically to the GMD. She reached out to it with the ANGEL's hand, and tried to pluck it from the air before opening the polyhedron. Unsurprisingly, she didn't pay much mind to the pie nearby. Even if she did, her figure wasn't easy to keep. If anything, her incarceration and "rehabilitation" did a nice job as a dieting routine.

((Open GMD))
The GMD pops open, revealing...a Battlechip! Curiously, the GMD doesn't fade upon being accessed, despite any attempts by ResQ to plunder further. Perhaps Dullahan is meant to have a go at it himself?

ResQ GET: ElementalRage1

Quote ()

ElementalRage1
Damage: 60 + LineAttack3
Accuracy: A
Description: Fires a ray of energy in front of the player. If the user is standing on an elemental terrain, the blast gains that power. Can target up to three enemies.
Duration: Once
Element: Depends on Terrain
Dullahan, still slightly shaken from the unexpected dive, spoke silent prayers to the now-expired Guard. "That was a rather elegant fall, given the circumstances," Birkenhead spoke, unable to wipe the look of pure glee from his face. Well, at leastsomeone was thoroughly entertained.

Dullahan turned to Alex's window, adjusting his bandanna as he addressed his partner's Operator. "I am well; and you are welcome," he replied curtly in return, shifting his gaze to ResQ. A window prompt notified Dullahan of his new loot; and he promptly materialised the data into a simple box in his hand.

He trudged over to ResQ. "As promised," Dullahan said, handing over the Pulsar1. He had no need for additional battlechips at this juncture; might as well give it to the more arsenal-deprived Navigator between them.

After all... It not as if I'm comfortable with fighting viruses in the first place. Dullahan clicked his tongue annoyedly.

He waited for ResQ to plunder the GMD silly, himself confused by the contraption. "Was this a thing? I do not seem to recall," Dullahan said aloud, but Birkenhead just shrugged. "You're asking the wrong person," his Operator provided helpfully. Dullahan scratched at his head.

Or... well... it would seem that the GMD was waiting for him, for one reason or another, long after ResQ had gotten her share of... more chips? Sigh.

Raising an index finger, Dullahan gently tapped it on the green object, not entirely enthusiastic about whatever that might drop out of it.
Dullahan went on to access the GMD himself. At the gentle tap, the floating crystal finally dematerializes completely. Remaining in his palms is, contrary to the rewards bestowed upon his companion, a tidy sum of zenny!

Dullahan GET: 1200z
((ResQ logout))